'We want our Alexandra back'
Community members of Alexandra in the north of Johannesburg have vowed to continue to bring the area to a standstill today, to force authorities to listen to their grievances.
Thandiwe Mthombeni, who is part of the Alexandra Shut Down campaign, says she has never felt so safe with the heightened presence of police and metro police officials since protesters took to the streets in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Several roads have been barricaded with burning tyres and rocks.
Residents are accusing authorities of the City of Johannesburg of failing to prevent the construction of illegal structures in the township.
Mthombeni says they want to take their area back.
"We are having a lot of illegal structures. We don't even know where they come from, any open space we have in Alexandra they occupy.
"We are having problems with electricity, we are having problems with water, we are having problems with crime.
"Some people have received court orders to be moved, but they have never even come to remove them," Mthombeni said.
The Johannesburg Metro police (JMPD) is monitoring the situation.
JMPD spokesperson Wanye Minnaar says traffic is following in Alexandra and two people were arrested.
"They also arrested two protesters believed to be ring leaders, so there is traffic movement in Alexandra," Minnaar said.
#AlexTotalShutdown | The residents are unhappy with the illegal structures built at a park.
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) April 3, 2019
They are calling for those occupying the park to move because they are allegedly connecting electricity illegally which contributes to power cuts in the area. pic.twitter.com/JVy3dEdNoJ
#AlexTotalShutdown | A leaner in the township says she is negatively affected by the shutdown, she was suppose to write a test today at school. pic.twitter.com/e1PfsSBUEJ
— Jacaranda News (@JacaNews) April 3, 2019